Twin Dragons Screen

Twin Dragons Screen

At the southern end of the Heavenly King Hall in the Great Buddha Temple stands a magnificent Twin Dragons Screen. This screen is constructed from green glazed bricks and tiles, measuring 22.9 meters in length from east to west, 6.8 meters in height, and 1.2 meters in thickness. The four corners are capped with green glazed tiles, and the ridges are adorned with decorations of birds and beasts. Both the front and back centers of the screen feature diamond-shaped panels, with a central green-glazed relief of two dragons playing with a pearl. The entire scene surrounding the relief is rendered in bright red, giving it a dazzling, resplendent, and majestic appearance when viewed from afar.

The most exquisite part of this screen lies in the two lifelike dragons. As people stand before the relief and observe closely, they feel as if the dragons have come to life, possessing both vitality and spirit. Their majestic postures as they tread waves and their ethereal charm as they exhale clouds and mist are truly breathtaking. A closer look reveals that the dragon horns reaching toward the sky, the flowing whiskers, and the powerful claws all seem animated, creating an impression of dynamic energy ready to burst forth. Legend has it that in the past, the Hutuo River south of Zhengding City had deep and rapid waters, with no bridge in earlier times, making crossings difficult. Later, two iron chains were forged and tied to wooden stakes on both riverbanks to facilitate ferrying. Over the years, the chains transformed into two green dragons that harmed the local people until they were captured by the Celestial Master Zhang. Around that time, Wei Chi Gong (Yuchi Gong) was supervising the construction of the Great Buddha Temple but had forgotten to build the temple’s mountain gate, leaving him at a loss on how to complete the project. He then ordered craftsmen to work through the night and construct this screen in front of the temple, embedding the two dragons securely in the center. This served a dual purpose: to subdue the dragons and to conceal the absence of a mountain gate at the Great Buddha Temple.

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revolving Scripture Depository Pavilion

Mani Hall

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